Red light, no. A Senate committee shot down a bill to ban red light cameras despite arguments the cameras don’t improve public safety and are hated by citizens. The Denver Post.

Yes sir, that’s my baby bill. A House panel rejected a bill that would have banned some products that contain a chemical that has raised concerns about its health effects on babies. The Pueblo Chieftain.

Floor fight. Tempers flared over a Democratic credit-score bill during a vote in the Senate. The Spot.

She wore an itsy bitsy … Teens in Colorado won’t have to worry about losing the right to hit indoor tanning beds as often as they like without collecting state-mandated permission slips after a lawmaker backed off her plan to require parental notification. 7News.

This just in, Dems job bill passes: The State of Colorado would double its funding for Small Business Development Centers across the state under a Democrat bill that survived a House committee approved. Denver Business Journal

I’ve got a stash in my bathroom closet. Selling or manufacturing synthetic drugs known as “bath salts” would be illegal in Colorado under a bill that received committee approval. The Associated Press via CBS4.

Wanted, a bill that passes. A Colorado House committee killed a bill that would have banned employers from advertising that they would not accept job applications from unemployed people. Denver Business Journal.

Right to fight over life. A bill to allow prosecutions against criminals who harm unborn children advanced, despite the objections of Democrats who suggested it would open the door to prosecuting women who have abortions. The Gazette

Three Republican senators -- Greg Brophy, Scott Renfroe and Shawn Mitchell -- received Flipper this morning, a plastic dolphin awarded to a GOP member who 'flips' during a vote. (Lynn Bartels/The Denver Post)

For four years, Senate Republicans have had a little fun with members who switch their votes, handing them a plastic dolphin named “Flipper” in honor of the famous TV swimmer..

Sometimes Flipper sits on a member’s desk for days or weeks, but in just two days it has traveled to four lawmakers’ desks.

“You pay attention to votes once you get it on your desk because you want to get rid of it,” said Sen. Scott Renfroe of Greeley.

Two GOP bills aimed at undoing some of former Gov. Bill Ritter’s “new energy economy” were scheduled to be heard this afternoon, but the committee has been canceled because of weather.

Both Sens. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, and Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, said some witnesses weren’t able to make it due to snow and icy roads.

The environmental community opposes the bills, and a liberal group is going after Mitchell’s measure, saying his proposal is the work of “right-wing legislators and special interests.”

“It’s hard to understand how anyone would actually support a bill that would directly result in the loss of Colorado jobs, and less competitiveness for Colorado’s economy, at the very moment we need to be doing all we can to create jobs,” said Kjersten Forseth of Progress Now Colorado.

In the first pic I found of the new Senate GOP leadership team together, Sen. Bill Cadman takes a swing while Sen. Mike Kopp and legislative aide Joe Neville catch in an impromptu office baseball game. (Photo by Lynn Bartels/The Denver Post)

Senate Republicans took a few steps to the ideological right in their leadership elections Thursday and celebrated an election that left the GOP with some say over redistricting.

Sen. Gail Schwartz’s energy bill is on its way to the House after an interesting vote among Republicans.

Schwartz, of Snowmass Village, is one of the key Democratic incumbents the GOP is trying to unseat in November. When her measure, Senate Bill 100, came up for a final vote on Monday, lawmakers were asked if there were any “no” votes.

A recording of the vote makes it sound as if the “no” votes came like dominoes. Dave Schultheis. Greg Brophy. Josh Penry. Scott Renfroe. Shawn Mitchell. Nancy Spence. Ted Harvey. Mark Scheffel. Keith King. A pause and then Kevin Lundberg.

But watching the vote was another matter, as it often is. Lawmakers in the Senate frequently look to see how their caucus members are voting before raising a hand. Senate Democrats do this just as much as Republicans but I happened to be seated at the press table when the Schwartz bill came up and had a clear view of the Republicans.

Republicans had a field day today with Sen. Suzanne Williams’ explanation about why she is pulling her American Indian mascot bill.

The Aurora Democrat, who is one-fourth Comanche, said it wasn’t needed anymore because it already has achieved its intent: Creating a discussion in the community on whether the mascots are appropriate. And she said an Indian education group will work with schools that have mascots.

Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, said Williams knew her bill was in trouble because she got the same phone calls and e-mails as other lawmakers, criticizing the idea and asking why she wasn’t focused on the budget crisis.

A miffed lawmaker told his colleagues today he wasn’t trying to pull a fast one when his amendment to a pension measure basically gutted the bill’s intent.

Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, on Friday amended the pension rescue bill to include a clause that all members of the Public Employees’ Retirement Association be notified in face of a financial emergency that could alter benefits.

The Senate unanimously approved his conceptual amendment but after the bill received initial approval and the Senate had adjourned lawmakers discovered the wording undid what the bill intended to do.

“I’m standing before you to tell you that I did not have ulterior motives with this as it has been suggested, and that angers me to no end,” Renfroe said.

The Senate then voted to support his new amendment, which was only about notification.

Senate Bill 1 passed on a 25-10 vote and now is headed to the House for debate.

Supporters want the bill passed before March, when a 3.5 percent cost of living increase is scheduled to hit for retirees. The bill lowers the annual COLA to 2 percent and wipes it out for this year as part of a move to ease PERA’s $30 million in unfunded liabilities.

Sen. Scott Renfroe’s bill cost $10,984 to implement when it involved drivers 16 and “one-half years” old but nothing for drivers age 16 “years and six months.

Confused by the new math, considering both ways of writing it still result in a driver being 16 1/2? So was Renfroe, a Greeley Republican.

Turns out the state computer system doesn’t read “one-half years” old, so it would have required 280 hours of computer programming to make changes. There’s no calculation required for the other way of writing it so Renfroe is amending his bill.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.